Something There
by Alequinn Sedai
Summary: As Kevin finished apologizing to those he humiliated by his talent, Ryoma challenged him to a friendly match. Then they walked home together. Yeah, that sounds about right. KevinXRyoma. Romance.


**Something There  
**by Trixcy**  
**

"Where's Kevin?" Arnold, the pale-skinned, blue-haired American asked, as if just realizing their arrogant 'mascot' was not with them the whole time.

Together he, Billy, Bobby, Michael, Tom and Terry had been going around places in Tokyo that day. Because of Steve Meyers' help, the team was able to stay for another day in Japan, and they collectively decided to take the opportunity and go sight-seeing. They bought clothing, some great books and beautiful souvenirs for home, Arnold even bought an electronic product which was extremely cheap coming from Japan. Tom and Terry, meanwhile, had to run several times from their rampaging fans, which was predictable enough, given their lack of disguises; while Billy sweet-talked with the salespeople into coming with him whenever he thought them pretty enough.

"Eh? He said he had to go places," Billy replied simply, pondering on the question after awhile, as if just remembered to mention Kevin to them. It was just too bad that Kevin couldn't come along with them, really - he would have enjoyed smashing the kid at Tekken3 at the arcade if he had. He had his ideas where to find the boy, though given Kevin's short reign of terror, he suspected he might have quite a lot of ground to cover before he could manage. No reason to waste his precious stay as it was.

Walking down the train station, Terry Griphy smiled to himself as he looked at the picture they had just taken together, the lustrous photograph wrapped in plastic perfectly placed in his almost-feminine hand. In it, each of them had their own fun-slash-silly pose to show. He giggled at the sight.

It really wasn't easy for any of them to be here. They finally had found a sponsor only the night before, a dream came true for each of them, and though he and his brother owed their beginnings to a man called Richard Becker, a man who had strongly enforced them to call him 'Boss' and direct their game-play as he saw fit - he could not dwell with the fact that they must be in his debt forever.

They could not possibly, and he knew just how selfish that sounded.

Yet the fact remained - Richard Becker would not be there to dictate their tennis anymore, expelled as he was as an American Tennis Association member and a coach who failed to nourish them in their best interest. For being extravagant and down right cruel, and impossibly demanding of the talent they possessed.

All those reasons didn't really seem to matter now, though - as he realized the future from then on was finally theirs to build.

_Theirs._

And it had never been brighter.

At that moment, it was good enough reason for him to be happy.

Tom, noticing him, smiled from above his shoulders.

"Having fun?" he smiled to his brother.

The orange-haired teen smiled back as he looked up to him.

"The best!" Terry answered him genuinely.

* * *

Somewhere in the Seigaku compound, second year student Arai was apparently shaken up by the sudden reappearance of a yellow-haired boy.

"Yah, genki?"

The greeting alone seemed oddly threatening for a boy of twelve. Arai, who for some reason attained a temporary status of 'leader' while all of the regulars are away, startled himself and made a ridiculous pose as the blond greeted him with that challenging smile and hard blue eyes of his.

"W.. what do you want, temee? You came to have another fight?" Many of the second years started walking interestedly towards the two, listening to the commotion. The first years had no choice but to finish their 30 forward strokes, in fear of having to incur Arai's wrath later on. From their faces, they, too, were curious by the presence of the American.

"No, that's not what I'm here for," Kevin slowly started, heart set on what he decided to do that day, though a little perturbed yet silently amused on how frightened Arai had looked. "I came to apologize.."

"I'm sorry," he spoke in English, and then bowed his head low to the bewildered second year, of whom took a moment longer to register than his other teammates. To them, Kevin's action must have been totally unexpected or perhaps bordering on the impossible - the blond could hear it in their silence even after the necessary act was done, as he had heard it before when he had made the apology.

In reality, for some of them, they can't help but feel slightly amazed by the boy.

Like Echizen, here was a boy too independent for his own good; too confident beyond reason to be on his own, even among foreigners - in their own country! It seemed the ickle first years were far below the league of these two boys, and the second years were after all, merely thirteen or fourteen years old themselves. It probably was something to see the actions of a prodigy; they who were never torn by self-esteem. Challenging, wanting, never setting a moment's thought on failing. Kevin, in turn, just eyed them, nudged his head to them but said nothing more, and walked the hell out of there.

_Was that the last one, after all?_ - Kevin pondered as he left the building. Many boys and girls' eyes were staring at him, he realized, those of which he knew were in the middle of their co-curricular activities, or in the process of getting there. He was particularly interested in a Kendo uniform a girl was wearing, and another just like that, only the person was holding a large wooden bow and arrow. Some of them of whom he had a good look of, either shied away or blushed at the sight of him, which he really couldn't understand why. He gave a silent shrug. Japanese are just strange that way, he guessed.

Somewhere outside the school, turning a corner and to his far left, he vaguely noticed a boy with the brim of his cap facing downward, shading his eye. The boy was leaning against a wall structure of a sitting area, a tall tree strategically placed nearby in tune with the infrastructure to provide more shade.

The boy was drinking Ponta, a bag of his tennis accessories slung across one shoulder.

"Echizen Ryoma.." Kevin stared, surprised, before started jogging slowly to him to close the distance. "What are you doing here?"

Ryoma looked up from where he was. "K.. Kevin?" he blinked.

A small smile etched Echizen's face as he spoke in Kevin's native tongue. "Why not? It's within the proximity of my school, isn't it?"

"Impressive English," the blond grinned deliberately, almost sarcastic.

"Hmph. Don't joke around," Ryoma replied as he closed his eyes, meaning it.

"Um.. a-ano.." a girl's voice, polite and demure, tried to intervene them. The girl wore her hair in two pigtails and had one hand held close to her chest. Sakuno, for awhile was trying to excuse herself though not knowing exactly how - easily neglected the moment the blond had approached them. On the other hand, she would have done anything to stay if only it wouldn't make her feel this uncomfortable.

"Eeh? Didn't think you were the type to have a girlfriend. Echizen Ryoma-_kun_." Kevin said, finally taking notice of her and studied Sakuno openly.

Sakuno blushed furiously at the blond's stare and at the sound of 'girlfriend', which from her reaction, she obviously must have heard it before. "I.. Iya. We.. we. are. n. no.. girlfriend," she explained timidly, hand waving a gesture of denial and hoping she got her English right albeit the stammering.

She carefully looked at Ryoma to see his reaction, with a slight tinge of hope that he could have said otherwise, or show signs that what she said was spoken correctly. What she got back was a simple look of indifference that barely even registered, Ryoma's eyes still directing themselves at Kevin in a scrutinous way. She slumped looking at the floor but smiled, decidedly trying to excuse herself, after all.

"Ano.. I.. would go. My. grandmother is ill," she said, bowing to them politely and went off in a jog before disappearing around the corner, hands unawaredly moving left and right the way most delicate girls do when they rush.

"Hmm.. weird girl. Pitiful English."

"You come off too strong," Ryoma said absentmindedly, drinking his Ponta again.

"I'm not intruding, am I? Aren't you supposed to be on leave or something?" he said as nudged his head at the direction of the school. "Didn't exactly see your sempai-tachi back there."

"Seems so," came the short reply, too ambiguous to Kevin's liking.

"Hmph. If that's how you're going to be. Well, my business' done here. Sore ja," he held his hand up in the air and started to walk away.

"Matte."

Kevin stopped.

_Kono yarou, Echizen Ryoma and his dramatic one-liner_ - Kevin thought, making a slightly annoyed face, before grudgingly realizing he had already stopped in his track.

"That same place where you challenged me.."

"Eh? What about it?" Kevin asked, curious, turning to face the other boy at the mention of it. Then there he saw it, the smile Ryoma usually wore when he challenged people. It was such an evil kind of smile. In more ways than one, Ryoma could have been his mirror.

"How about it? One game."

"Hmph. Sure, why not?" the blond answered, knowing having his backpack and his racquet along would always pay when it came to a situation like this. It's what being a tennis player is about, after all.

"So.. your girlfriend?" he teased as the two set off, walking to that court where they first met, a start to something that no longer weigh heavily on their mind.

"Eeeh? Who knows."

"Oi, oi."

* * *

It was still a good long while before sunset. Kevin surveyed the surrounding of the court only to find some people jogging in groups not far away, probably the school's track team.

_This place ain't so bad_ - he mused.

"Ne, Echizen Ryoma? Do you have a reason you play tennis?" he tried to make a conversation, as he balanced his racquet on the tips of his two fingers before putting it on the ground and twirling it.

"Smooth-u," the black-haired called. He then eyed Kevin silently, giving weigh to his question.

"Hmm.. no reason," the Japanese settled for an answer. The letter K ended facing the right way up. "My serve."

"Sou ka?" Kevin said to himself, a little absentmindedly, before taking his racquet from where it fell.

Ryoma quietly went to his serving position and looked up, eyes stern. Tennis ball in hand and feet adapting to the court he stood on, he threw the ball high and hit his serve with his right. A twist-to serve.

"Really? Not even for fun?" Kevin prodded, grinning yet finding it hard to believe, as he dashed and returned the ball in a moment's spur.

Ryoma didn't answer him as quickly but made an immediate volley to the right.

"You talk too much."

And on they played. Multiple attempts of smashes and ingenious saves, all executed beautifully without cheers and spectators. Sometimes, Kirihara's Phantom ball managed to wedge itself in, and both parties once or twice resorted to a special attack towards the end of each game.

The match lingered on and on, on what could have been for hours. Unlike official matches, it really did suck having to retrieve the balls when they ran out.

Yet unlike the tournament, there was no larger-than-life reason on the line. Not for the time being, anyway. Each hit they received told them that the other side was serious, but not serious enough to want it at the cost of pride, though a little bit is always essential in order to prove their worth. Both relaxed a little knowing this. And still the match progressed, as vicious as any.

Then from some unforeseeable reason, Ryoma decided to answer the question. A little audible, though his voice carried.

"It was to beat my old man."

"Huh?"

"All those tournaments at the US, never stopped playing till I am.. better!"

"Beat your father?"

"Yeah.. No fun. No goal. All I want was to stop him beating me at tennis," -a smash-, "just so he could stop yammering on about it. It sucks when, " - split-to step, sprint and save- "winning a championship or two still didn't prove me good enough." -point! 40-30. They stopped. - "Not a very inspiring story, na."

It was Kevin's serve.

"Heh, no wonder you're too proud," -hit- "Your aim was higher, I can imagine" -smash- "nothing at all like what was there infront of you, eh?"

He somehow remembered the same sandy-haired boy Ryoma had carelessly beaten with a straight set at the junior tennis tournament. Not even a glance, not even an admitted rival. Kevin wondered at the significance. In his place, it must have been his father's image the Japanese was trying to break.

The feeling must have been the same like the one he harboured for Ryoma, the moment he found out the boy had left for Japan. As grand as it sounded, the tournament meant nothing to him - without Ryoma, it was almost meaningless. The obstacles were obsolete - the final match, a different level altogether, nothing at all like what he had hoped for. The European boy's face, in Kevin's anger, he had imagined it to overlap with Ryoma's - and he made a twist serve knowing it was going to hit his jaw - Ryoma's jaw. A serve not just any junior could possibly save.

An easy win.

"Heh. What was I thinking? We're world's apart, after all. Haaa...!"

A set went to Kevin, 5-4. Change of court.

"What do you mean?" Ryoma asked, two hits and returns later, once they resumed playing.

"Our situations. They're too different, aren't they? You were pushed with sheer motivation to out-do your father, while I was trained with Spartan exuberance and hatred just so I could have my revenge on you. Can't you see the difference? You led a care-free life, Echizen Ryoma. Compared to me.. -uh!- Compared to me, you had the paths easily made for you."

"Eeeh? Sore de?"

"Sore de nan da!"

They played in silence for awhile, just the occasional gruffing and shouts at the moment of aim and impact.

"Oi, anta, do you like tennis?" he asked in Japanese.

"Wha-?" he almost missed the ball but managed to save it by hitting a drop shot.

"Ugh!" Ryoma did a Drive-B to save and return it in a nick of time. It was an in. Another point to Ryoma.

"I asked.." -he breathed, collecting his breath before serving a new ball- "-Uh!- do you like tennis?"

"Of.. of course!" the blond replied, almost bewildered.

"Sou ka?" Ryoma gave a small smile. "Then stop complaining on useless nonsense, ano kinpatsu gaki."

Three hits later - "Tennis is tennis." - hit! - "why should it matter? Who cares how you started to begin with?"

"What you know, what _I_ know-"

"is that we have a dream to run."

By sunset, the game was finally set and match. 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5), 6-4. Won by Echizen.

Ryoma shook Kevin's hand. "Good game."

"Hmph. Same to you."

"Still bitter?" Something in the way he said it Kevin knew he wasn't insinuating the game.

_Tennis wa tennis da._

"No.." Kevin conceded. He could have said that Ryoma caught him off-guard, but that would not have been sporting, no matter how true it was. His last words practically blew him away. Then it was a Cyclone smash he wasn't at all prepared for.

_We have a dream to run._

That part was English, he realized. Off-guard and slightly dazzled by Ryoma's incredible knack for dramatic timing, Kevin gave a sigh and finally gave in.

"Kono yarou.." he smiled.

Ryoma went and had his face cooled off, only to return a while later with two Pontas in hand. The two boys drank their refreshments, packed their bags and gathered all their tennis balls. Ryoma's tennis balls were Penn, Kevin's were Slazenger, which made it easier to tell the owners and immediately change hands.

* * *

"Hmm.. you know, there is this feeling I have for you. But I don't know what it is," the yellow-haired boy said, walking casually with Ryoma outside the residential area and towards the shopping district, which most of the students passed on their way home.

"Eeh?" that smug voice raised a little to make that curious yet mocking tone.

"It's something like loathing, or envy. It feels like both... I don't know, I guess it's something like that.. only.. um.. not?" he said as if pondering on it himself, "Hen da ro?"

"Iie. Daijoubu."

"Do people always have a hard time talking to you?"

Ryoma wondered on that, before saying 'Saa..' and letting it slide.

"Argh, no use. No use. I feel like Billy trying to cheer me up. It really does feel as stupid as he sounds." Ryoma then eyed the boy strangely, but Kevin was prepared for him and showed a convincing smile. _Kevin no baka da_ - he thought to himself as he saw Ryoma started walking again, before catching up.

"You know.. That feeling. I understand," Ryoma started.

Kevin looked at him.

"That feeling," he said, eyeing Kevin before talking again. "Just like when you hate something, yet still wanting to stick around," the Japanese tried explaining himself, "not knowing why you play, yet holding to a reason that barely even justifies it."

"I was like that once. When that reason breaks, the feeling is eventually something I have to come to terms with. 'Why do you still do it?' 'Why do you still want to?' When the reason of beating my father was no longer valid, I had to come up with another goal. Another reason to play. Something good enough to support that intangible drive - 'this is why I play'. For what it's worth, I think I've found it now. As for you.."

"You no longer know what I am, do you? I know you still want to hate me. Yet," he hesitated a little, before continuing, "yet you just don't, do you?"

"It's.. something like that," Kevin said, trying to get a grip on what Ryoma's talking about. The more he thought of it, the more it dawned on him - and the more he understood. Just to say, he realized he really was impressed with the boy's English, after all.

"Second best, more or less. It's more like.. um.."

A hand, pale even after the long exposure under the sun, snaked to find Echizen's and laced them together, like the kids they saw running around in the playground did, or what Eiji-sempai usually does with Ooishi-sempai or practically with everyone else. But sempai had always been friendly that way. Ryoma felt it peculiar that Kevin had that side to him, too. "Nah?" Kevin smiled, explaining himself practically than verbally.

"How is it different?"

"Yeah.. fine, it's exactly as you said." Kevin admitted finally, begrudgingly. "My reason is gone now. But.. what I do feel for you.. it did change. It's no longer hate, which you seem to 'obviously know better'." - he added the sarcasm - "You took that away when you've beaten me, strange and unthinkable as that sounds.. Actually, I wish I could hate you for that, too. Heh. But envy? like? I wouldn't know. It's along the lines of that, I guess. All the same.. Yeah.. we all need something, even if it might be meaningless in the end."

Around them, more and more people were taking the streets as night time approached.

"In the end, it's the only thing that drives you," the blond smiled. "After what I've been through, saying you play just because you like the game is never going to be good enough. You understand that, obviously.. you have to," he joked.

The last words were gently mocking, enough to be accusatory, yet Ryoma couldn't shake the feeling there was a sense of pleading in it. It felt strange to the boy just how real life conversations can go sometimes, though he did understand - every word of it. Put it to paper and there's every chance the meaning will be lost forever, never really making sense if you can't read between the lines. The raven-haired boy stared, nodded a little and looked at their hands.

"Ooi, Kevin, this isn't America." he tried. Then he realized something, about giggling female sempais and manga stores. "No, that isn't the point." he sweatdropped, staggering momentarily as they walked, before fixing himself. "You really shouldn't be holding my hand."

"Why? Afraid your girlfriend will watch?" Kevin said absent-mindedly, gazing at the neon lights of some of the shops.

"She's not really.." Ryoma started, then he stopped.

'Denying is concern' - a sudden thought tried to remind him. Ryoma sighed as he realized it too late. It was perhaps one of the first rules he taught himself growing up. His father just love to exploit any topic that might embarrass him, after all - Ryoma learnt it far too early as a boy, at the same time he also learnt to wear an indifferent front to almost everything. Those who knew them in America always wondered why someone like Najiroh could possibly have a son like Ryoma, by far more mature than his father could be - not affected by lame provocations or sense too common among idiots - and by default, the ladies always held his kaasan responsible for an upbringing deserving of praise. No, this was not the time to be thinking about that..

He waved their hands a little, finding a spot where their bones didn't exactly grind together in a way it'd hurt, knowing Kevin wouldn't let go anytime soon.. though that didn't really stop him from trying.

"People stare, Kevin."

"This is Japan, Ryoma. No one's staring."

The Japanese boy pondered on the many hows he couldn't even begin to correct the blond. Ryoma finally gave a silent sigh to himself. Maybe Kevin was right, or maybe he just didn't have the strength to argue. Besides, for the first time, he realized Kevin had just called him Ryoma. Ano gaki.. Even his sempais held themselves in check and called him Echizen. Even Momo. Sakuno and her friend didn't count, girls love to be familiar, after all. (To be fair, he called Kevin Smith 'Kevin'. But that was just how the blond was called.)

"Mattaku.." was all he said, looking at the blond from the corner of his eye. On a whim, Ryoma took a risk that just felt right at the time.

Tugging at the hand that held him, he pulled the other boy close to him and planted a kiss in Kevin's hair. They were both the same height, the same build, he realized. Too much alike than Kevin had given them credit for.

"I'll walk you back to your hotel," he said.

From the look of the blond's face, he totally didn't expect that at all. Not from Echizen Ryoma.

The boy named Kevin chuckled, his voice a little choked as he bowed his head a little. "Sou sa.. When I think about it.. Why is it that Fates like to play jokes on people? Na, Ryoma?"

"Maa nah."

The grip slackened a little bit. Then his head leaned on the other boy as they walked. Ryoma just let him, his grip on him never loosened, yet not quite forcing. Given the things they both went through with each other, he felt strangely comfortable doing this.

While Kevin.. Kevin, not even embarrassed that he had his head resting against Echizen as they walked -enough to be interpreted 'that way'- felt a sort of freedom he didn't just imagine, the same freedom he felt the seconds before Echizen Ryoma had beaten him when he had given his all. A release from his pursuit of revenge that in some warped up imagination, could mend everything that was wrong with his life.

No one could blame him for being immature, no one should cast an accusing finger at him and say 'that's the child who tried too hard, wanting to believe'. They couldn't possibly know how it was like for him. For a boy of six, even a Spartan training was like a fairy promise, if it means it can win him back a father's love. His 'family's dignity', as his father would call it, or had led him to believe.

A cloud gathered just above them and was colored an eerie orange by the sun's ray, he was reminded again of a little boy who cried silently looking at his father yelling and screaming, crashing glasses and blood, a man he no longer knew drowning himself with alcohol in a room streaking with the glow of sunlight. A false hope, a false ambition, in the end - broken and unfixable. _I'll never go down that path._

"Anta.. sugoi na.." he repeated again, eyes closed and saying it in a mumbled tone.

The other boy edged his head closer to the blond, gently coming in contact with his sunglasses, and smiled.

"Anta mo na." Ryoma replied, just as soft.

They both wondered whether this feeling would make sense one day. Too much to be rivalry alone, too loose to be called hate or envy or loathing. Yet too special to think that one day it will all just go away.

* * *

"Ano. Kevin wa..?"

"Oh.. he's gone again?" Terry just realized.

"That kid. His blood must be Type B." Tom added, not exactly joking. They were all at the airport, and the Seigaku regulars had just come to express their goodbyes and well-wishes to the American Team, seeing them off on their trip back to Los Angeles.

"Sorry. We have no clue where he went."

It took Echizen some time to locate him. When he did, the American was standing by the payphone. From the conversation, it seemed he had his mother on the line.

"Mama.. I lost to Echizen.." Kevin spoke, updating her briefly on the news. Ryoma gazed at his back, not really having trouble with his conscience when it comes to eavesdropping, though he decided to wait on him. "But I won't give up. Then maybe, father he..!"

A voice from the loudspeaker reminded them of flight 847's departure for Los Angeles, announcing for the second time. There was a pause, something was being said at the other end, and Kevin looked slightly whimsical and sad, yet he seemed comforted somehow.

"Yeah, I'm going home.."

As he turned to leave, a group of people walked past him, and quite unexpectedly, his eyes gazed at the figure of Echizen Ryoma standing sideway a few feet from him. The boy was wearing his school uniform, white shirt and black pants, like the one he wore the first time they met. Kevin almost didn't recognize him at first glance. Almost. It was truly hard not to distinguish the boy from anyone else. Only.. he looked so different without his cap and tennis apparatus. His hair was a shock of beautiful black-green, unruly and falling all over his face and... he just looked different.

"Echizen Ryoma," he called out, "when I meet you again, I will beat you, and I will definitely claim victory."

Ryoma eyed him from the side, his eyes feigning curiousity though without mockery, perhaps humoring to the idea.

"Hmm? Itsudemo dozo," he said as he closed his eyes, giving an almost-smile.

Kevin gave a soft 'hmph' and smiled as well. "Sore made, genki da iru.."

"Anta mo neh."

"See. you. again," Kevin said coolly, as he walked away.

"Where's Kevin?" asked Billy, leaning against the side of Tom's airline seat.

"Eh? He's not on board yet? We're not going to leave him, are we?" asked Terry, concerned, who somehow always feared the idea of being left behind.

"Well, if he isn't, he can always try to manage himself in Japan, right?" said Tom, still not exactly joking either.

"Brother!" Terry cried at him.

"We still have around ten minutes before take off," said Arnold dismissively who was sitting behind Tom, checking at his watch. "There's still a lot of time. Don't worry about it."

"You're right. He'll come," Billy agreed, comforted by the thought.

* * *

"Kevin."

From the sound of his voice, he couldn't tell whether Ryoma had run or had been keeping up with him, he didn't really look back to find out, per se. But once he heard his name, he decided to turn around, and sure enough, Ryoma was standing there, somehow breathing only a fraction faster - the only other thing he realized was the fact that the boy was closer than he imagined him to be, closer than the Japanese knew he could have stood.

Ryoma wasn't really smiling at him then, his look quite unreadable. But there was a moment's pause before Kevin was slowly greeted by a hand touching his face, and the raven-haired closed his eyes while leaning in to give a very soft peck on his lips. Kevin could barely feel it, though. It was a chaste kiss. _Just the touch of his lips._ It lingered for awhile, before the Japanese boy drew back and afterward, looked at him.

Kevin grinned, a little shocked - before relaxing again.

"Aa. Quite a surprise gift you're giving me. Well, my plane's leaving. If you.. well, ever go to US again, hey," - he paused, grinning evilly, tilting his head - "don't be a stranger."

"Aa," was the black-haired's simple reply. Kevin couldn't see Ryoma's smile, but he knew it was there somewhere - at least, he felt that it was there.

Kevin touched where their lips just met, and slyly decided to wink at the boy.

"Hmph. Not bad," he said, pretending to blow a kiss, only that his mouth was closed and smiling - dignified, and charming in its own way - before saying his goodbye and walked past the gate.

Watching at Kevin's retreating figure, Ryoma stood awhile longer, took a breath in and in the end, couldn't help but chuckled to himself, and at Kevin's amusing gesture.

"Mada mada da ne," he laughed in a quiet tone, directing it to himself and also the situation - only then just realizing how bold he was. And.. how right it felt.

Once on board the plane, Billy had unavoidably asked his young friend - "So? Where have you been?"

"Hmph. Just a little something," Kevin smiled to himself, not really bothering to explain. He was thankful enough Billy saved the window seat for him, though.

Kevin fixed his gaze out the window. The orange sunset had been quite a theme for him during his stay in Japan. Quite the irony, but all the more right, he thought. He wanted to close this chapter in his life once and for all, and begin a new one - a new sunrise, right in America.

He wondered how long till he get to meet Ryoma again. Years, probably. In their teens, or in their mids - so long as there is something for Ryoma to win in the US, he knew the boy would definitely come. _Definitely._ One of the pinnacles of Tennis competition is held there, after all. Ryoma _must_ come.

Little did he know.

The blond American never would have thought that an unexpected turn of event would bring Ryoma back to him sooner than he could ever hope to realize. Not years, not even months.

For less than one month from now, Echizen Ryoma, after a gruelling exercise at a park, would be lying on a carpeted grass on US soil, and there overshadowed by Kevin's figure, he would wake up to gaze at him, his feature softening.. a smile forming.

Kevin, hiding the effects of his heartbeat, would then gently kneel beside him and give him a soft kiss he'd been meaning to give ever since he left Japan, a kiss he hoped would have Ryoma felt the promise of home, however fleeting. That which, in fact, Ryoma almost immediately did.

Neither could possibly have known that.

But as the Fates tied their strings to each other the night before, ghostly figures giggling and laughing before dissipating into the night air, it was as good as a future waiting to happen to them both.

Just right then, despite the distance of land and plane, Ryoma and Kevin smiled. They both couldn't deny that there was something there between them, after all.

- **The End** -

-  
Aah, I just love Kevin and Ryoma paired up together! lol Though I must say it's really hard to make them work, despite all those hints in the anime. I hope all of you enjoy the read. Please tell me what you think. :)


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